550 
Heritable Spiral Torsions. 
be regarded as intermediate races. The first is Dianthus 
barbatus torsus. I obtained a fine twisted branch of this 
form in the autumn of 1894 from Air. J. ENSINK in 
Rtuirlo. The torsion was similar to that represented in 
Fig. 129, but the fruits were ripe and full of seed. I 
could not, however, sow the 
seed until the spring of 1897. 
This species does not 
flower till the second year, 
10-20 shoots being produced 
on each individual. I made 
a culture of about 300 indi- 
viduals, which were planted 
out at distances of 20 centi- 
meters apart. Plants began 
to flower in June of the sec- 
ond year (1898) ; the great 
majority of their stems were 
normally decussate ; whilst 
several had ternary whorls 
along the whole length, or in 
other cases, only in the up- 
per parts of the stems. Oth- 
ers again were twisted and 
manifested a spiral arrange- 
ment of the leaves. The 
twisting, too, seemed to pre- 
fer the upper half of the 
stem, just underneath the inflorescence. Sometimes how- 
ever the whole stem, or a great part of it, was twisted 
or the torsion extended into the inflorescence. The maxi- 
mum development of the anomaly largely corresponded, 
so far as I could determine, with the period of maximum 
Fig. 129. Dianthus barbatus 
torsus. Twisted Sweet Wil- 
liam The stem has a de- 
cussate arrangement of leaves 
below and spiral above. June 
1900. 
